XP-320, XP-360 Will Be The Standard Engines
Velocity Aircraft is now offering its builders the option of either the 160-horsepower, XP-320 Engine or the 180-horsepower, XP-360 Engine manufactured by Superior Air Parts as the preferred engine on their newest kit aircraft, the twin-engine Velocity V-Twin. “Having ... two of our engine models selected as their standard engine is a huge accomplishment for us," said Glen Golden, Superior's V.P. for Sales and Marketing.
“With its stall-resistant canard, the V-Twin was designed to offer pilots the performance and safety of a light twin, but with the advantage of having the operational simplicity of a single-engine aircraft,” stated John Abraham, Chief Pilot, Velocity Aircraft, Inc. “We, and many people who have built our single-engine Velocity models, have had a lot of great experience with Superior’s XP-Engines and we felt like their performance, reliability and affordability made them the ideal match for the V-Twin.”
“Like the design of the V-Twin itself, we wanted to offer builders something new and different, while at the same time raising the bar for performance and safety,” Abraham said. “Superior’s XP-Engines do that and at a price that is thousands below a comparable Lycoming engine. That’s especially important when you are buying two of them for your V-Twin.”
The standard V-Twin features Superior’s 160-horsepower XP-320 Engines, which feature ElectroAir electronic ignition, cold air induction and balanced fuel injectors. At 60%, economy cruise operating at lean-of-peak, it delivers a fuel burn of 6 gallons per hour per engine, (12 GPH total). Superior notes that XP-Engines are not approved for use with any auto fuels blended with ethanol or gasohol.
“At 75% power running lean-of-peak, the fuel burn is just 8 gallons per hour per engine (16 GPH total) and you’re seeing 180 knots,” Abraham said. “Whether you want economy or speed, the V-Twin offers an extremely efficient, safe and comfortable way to travel.”
Abraham added that builders who want more power can opt to install the 180-horsepower XP-360 Engines. “I’ve flown a lot of hours in the V-Twin with the -320’s and it’s a wonderful airplane,” Abraham said. “We are currently working with an owner to build the first V-Twin with the 180-horsepower engines. The extra horsepower should really give it a performance boost.”
“Another very attractive feature of the XP-Engines is that they can run on either 100 low lead or 91 octane automotive gasoline*,” Golden said. “The lower cost of the auto fuel combined with the low fuel burn, makes the XP-powered V-Twin, arguably the most economical piston twin you can fly.”
(XP-360 image courtesy Superior Air Parts. V-Twin image courtesy Velocity Aircraft)
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